A New Member
by iiCollz
Summary: Max is shocked to find out her flock isn't the only bird-kids around. Zinnia and her own partner, Archer, are separated in the beginning, and reunited thanks to the flock.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : Alright, so for a good while, I was obsessed with Maximum Ride. I still am, I just don't read it as much since the 9th manga book came out. I read all the chapter books, although I can't really remember them, sadly. I can remember faint parts of the beginning, and faint parts of the middle. I cannot remember the ending at all, unfortunately. Anyways.**

 **This will be a shorter chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.**

 **The only characters I own are the two men, Archer, and Zinnia.**

 **Rated T for cursing.**

Chapter 1: Why are ya still runnin'?

Running is so difficult. Now, if I could just fly, that would be great. Too bad these freaks would shoot me out of the sky the moment I take off. I pant, desperately looking for a place to hide, or at least take a break. My long, platinum blonde hair flows out behind me as I run to my saftey. I look around frantically, so tempted to shoot out my white, 14 inch wide wings and take off.

"Why are ya still runnin'?" One shouts, laughing as he holds his gun up. He's an ugly man, that's for sure. I wonder if he has any kids, let alone a wife or a partner. With his big belly, his short appearance. Not to mention his bad attitude and stinky breath. Scratch that. Stinky everything. I scrunch my nose up at his question, my short legs desperate to go just a little bit faster. Just so I won't be able to smell his gross scent.

"I see ya wings, girl!" The other one yells, laughing at my attempt to run faster. "We're gonna rip 'em off right off of ya!" he adds, taking off after me. This one isn't too bad to look at. He's a tall man, with much longer legs than myself. He has brown, messy hair. Big, green eyes, although with ugly bags hanging from under them. He looks sickly skinny. You know what, forget what I said earlier. This guy is hard to look at, too. I blink, my long eyelashes fluttering against my cheekbones as I listen to his words.

"I don't see you trying!" I try to yell back tauntingly, running a bit faster somehow. They stop, hearing my voice.

"Damn. She sounds like a little girl."

"I am 14!" I say instantly, skidding to a stop. Shit. Why did I do that?

"Ehehe. Don't look like it, sweetie."

I turn around, glaring at their guns. I brush my thick, curly bangs out of my big, bright blue eyes. "Who do you guys think you are, anyways?" I demand.

"Who do we think we are?" one of them repeats, laughing shortly after.

"Well, we're gonna be rich fellas in a second once we have those wings."

I flinch. I knew I shouldn't have stopped. These guys have guns and what do I have? Two, small legs that will run for their lives. Or, a pair of big wings that could be shot during flight. I contemplate whether I should run or not for a breif second, before unfolding my wings quickly but carefully. I take off with speed and experience, hearing gunshots from below. I manage to miss one bullet, literally hearing it go past my ear. I shudder. Imagine if that got me.

"Agh! Dammit, we missed her!" One of them yells.

I smirk. "Yes, you did," I mumble, flying farther away instead of flying higher. I peek down at them, looking back up shortly after. They're already getting in a loud argument.

I hear a gunshot a moment too late. I let out a gasp, feeling it hit my wing. In my attempt, I flap my wings faster, able to at least make it to a roof and collapse there.

"S-Shit," I whimper, curling in on my self. "No," I whisper, sitting up. I unfold my wounded wing, hearing the stupid crooks' cheers in the background. I stare at the damage, carefully stroking my feathers. It's a big gash, as far as I can tell. Dark red stains my pure white feathers. I wince, looking away as tears collect in my eyes. My wing has gone numb from the blood loss already.

"How am I supposed to get this fixed?" I murmur to myself, standing up and looking around for the men. They're probably already making their way towards me. Well, they'll lose track very quickly, I decide, huffing as I look for a way to get down.

Jump off the roof. That's what I have to do. I smile in slight panick, knowing I will have to go on foot once more. I could break an ankle jumping down at this height if I don't land correctly. I stare at the ground, sweat collecting on my forehead as I furrow my eyebrows. I breathe deeply, flinching when I hear their cheers in loud voices. They're getting closer.

I jump, landing just right on my feet. I let out a breathless gasp, hesitating and checking to see if I broke anything. Nope. Just my wing. I begin to run, no matter how much pain it brought to my wing. I pant, sweat already rolling down my back. I'm getting too much exercise these days, I think to myelf, my eyebrows wrinkling once more. I pant, looking around. I have stumbled into a neighborhood. I doubt they would try to get me here. I begin to walk, feeling not only sweat, but blood run down my back. I shudder, blinking.

Where do I go now?

 **A/N: Heehee! Well, sorry for the shortness. It usually takes me a while to type this all down. Review, please!**

 **~iiCollz**


	2. Chapter 2 Mission

**A/N: Heehee. I hope you guys like this. It takes forever to think of what the next chapter should be. ; w ;**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.**

 **Although, I do own Zinnia and Archer.**

 **Rated T for cussing.**

 **Archer's P.O.V**

Chapter 2. Camila.

I stare ahead of myself, my wings unfolding slightly. The sight is beautiful, sure, but there is just too much people around. I fold my wings back up, tucking them neatly against my back.

Ruffling my dark brown hair with my strong, calloused hand, I sigh. Gotta find Zinnia. That is my mission right now. I pull at the hem of my white sweater, glancing around.

"Hello!" a bright voice says from behind me. I turn around slightly, my green eyes taking in the frame of this tiny girl. Her clothes are in rags, her hair in knots down her back. She looked about 6 years old, 7 at the oldest.

I hesitate before replying, ".. Hi." I continue to study this young girl, before words bubble off my lips. "Where are your parents?"

Her eyes seem to sadden. "They're over there." She points over to an old alley. I squint as I spot them huddled together, shivering.

"Ah," I murmur, tilting my head.

"Do you have any food to spare?" Her voice was trembling slightly, as if she was afraid. The bright, cheery tone was taken away.

I stare at her, bringing my backpack in front of me. "Sure, sweetheart." I find myself crumpling at her bright, blue eyes. They look like Zinnia's.

She smiles slightly. "O-Oh, thank you," she whispers in glee.

I smile back, grasping the whole loaf of bread I managed to shove in there. It's a little smashed, and I feel bad for giving this to her. "Do you need water as well, darling?" I ask curiously.

She pauses, glancing back at her parents. "Yeah, we do," she responds. "B-But, you know, y-you don't have to-"

I beam at her, pulling out two waterbottles. "These are all I have, sweetie." I handed her the two bottles. "Need help bringing them over there?" I add.

She nods. "T-That would be great, thanks."

I smile at her, holding the loaf of bread in my hand. She takes a hold of my index and middle finger gently as we walk across the street and to the alley.

Her parents sit up slightly. Well, the mother does. The father appears to be sick. I scrunch my nose slightly at the smell of vomit, shuttering.

"Mom, look," the little girl says, letting go of my two fingers. She shows them the water bottles. My heart melts when I see the mother's hand. Oh, how shaky it is. She grasps the water bottle, nudges her husband awake.

I blink, handing the loaf of bread. "Sorry it's smashed," I say softly. She takes the bread with careful fingers, although her wrists are still shaking.

"Es fino, cari o*," she replies in a surpsingly soft voice.

I tilt my head, the language unfamiliar to me.

"Madre, este buen hombre debe ser agradecido," the little girl says softly, smiling at me.

Her mother nods, staring at me. She takes both of my hands. I flinch, not expecting this.

"Muchas gracias. Incluso esta comida ayudar con la enfermedad de mi esposo."

I nod, not understanding. The little girl turns to me. "She said thank you- What's your name?"

"Archer," I respond, brushing my dark brown hair out of my green eyes. "You are welcome."

"She understands english, she just doesn't know how to pronounce it," the little girl says, beaming at me. "And, I'm Camila."

I nod once more. I suddenly hear yelling. I turn around slightly, to see a crazed man with a match just around the corner. Camila also glances over.

"Camila, qu es eso?" her mother demands, feeding her husband.

"No s , Mam ," she replies in a scared voice. "Tal vez es el hombre antes."

I frown. "Stay here, darling," I say in a protective voice towards Camila. Oh, come on. She's a cute six year old. A homeless six year old. A homeless one, in fact.

I slowly approach the man, just to see that he has set fire to a building. The fire licks it's way towards Camila and her family. My eyes widen. They haven't noticed yet. Why not? I unfold my wings with desperation, ignoring the laughs from the obviously high man.

"Camila, te amo. Por favor, vaya con el hombre. No trate de salvarnos. No est uso. Adem s, est bamos en nuestro ltimo an lisis, de todos modos. Te mantiene aqu era solamente un peligro." I hear the words, biting my lip. I know that "te amo" meant I love you. I frown, trying to hear other words I know. Peligro .. Danger. It means danger.

Camila is running to me with her short legs. I run to her. I swoop her up. She wraps her legs around me, her tiny, skinny arms around my shoulder. "Yo tambi n te quiero."

Her voice is quiet, and I can hear the tiny sniffles coming off of her. She just let go of her parents. I look ahead, as if there was any chance saving them. There wasn't, and that was obvious. I unfold my wings, holding onto Camila tightly before taking off.

First mission. Find Zinnia.

Second mission. Protect Camila.

 **A/N: Had to announce a new character! Heehee! I love Camila so much. Also, yes, her parents speak spanish.**

 **Her mother said I love you at some point. Said to go with Archer.**

 **You know what. Go look it up on google translater. I'm too lazy to, lmao.**

 **Review!**

 **~iiCollz.**


	3. Chapter 3 The Flock

A/N: Thanks for reviewing, i-really-hope-not! Makes me really happy to see I have at least one person that reads this. ; w ;

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride.

I only own Zinnia, Archer, and Camila.

Rated T for cussing.

Chapter 3. The Flock.

Zinnia's P.O.V

Keep walking fast. This is my goal. I glance around this empty town, glad to know that there is no one around.

I relax, unfolding my injured wing to take a good look at it. It's bleeding has stopped, but I don't know how bad the damage is. I just know that my wing has a huge gash in it, limiting me from flying.

Letting out a sigh, I brush my hair out of my eyes. "Goddammit. I need a vet or something," I murmur, glancing around.

But, with a vet, wouldn't she notice my wings? A human that has wings? I pout slightly, letting out another sigh.

"Archer." His name escapes my lips. I blink, feeling more at peace when I feel my eyelashes brush against my skin.

I hear voices. Oh no. It can't be the men, can it? I break out in a run in panic, trying to move my hair out of my eyes so that I can see. It's to no avail. My hair just keeps on curling back into my face, leaving me blind at some points.

I crash my side into a brick wall. Or, a building thats made out of bricks. Or, a really hard stone. Whatever it was, ow. That hurt.

Tears are springing to my eyes. I clutch my shoulder slightly, sniffling silently. It hurts. Really bad. I tremble at the pain, trying to walk faster.

"Is that her?"

The voice is familiar. I panic, running around into an alley. I hide in the corner, quieting my small cries and sniffles.

"Haha, I think we've got her trail. Now, we have to find her," the other male says.

When will I ever get rid of them? I think to myself, shuddering. My breath comes out in quiet pants, clutching my shoulder in slight desperation to stop the pain.

Archer. Archer. Archer. His name is screaming in my mind. I sniffle, peeking up from under my eyelashes to see the men running. Not in my direction, but in the complete opposite.

I sigh in relief, peeking up into the sky. I freeze. Bird kids?

One, two, three four, five, six .. Is that a dog? I squint harder. Yep. That's a dog, with wings. I focus who's in the front, and who's in the back. I stand up with slight difficulty, looking around myself. It looks like they're just lingering around, flying right there in their group.

Finding a ladder to the roof was pretty convenient, I must say. I let go of my shoulder, sucking in my bottom lip. I grasp the ladder, hesitating. I look back up. They're still there.

I begin to climb swiftly, not wanting them to leave. My wing bangs against the metal ladder at times, making me let out cries of pain. Tears are running down my cheeks by the time I'm standing on the roof.

They're getting closer. I stay frozen, dropping to my knees. The pain is too much.

I hear them. Talking.

"Max, what is that?" A boy. Sounds like he's 11, maybe 12.

"I don't know." Sounds like a female pre-adult .. Max. That's her name.

"Should we go closer?" His voice kind of reminds me of Batman, really. I shudder as I try to listen. It's just so hard. My wing hurts so much as I continue to let out cries of pain.

Max, I think, walks forward. She steps in front of me, crouching down. "Hello?" she questions. Actually, it's more demanding. As if she's commanding me to show my face.

I look up, my cheeks surely flushed from the pain and the crying. My bright blue eyes must be bloodshot, or at least still filled with tears.

".. What happened." This also isn't a question. It's a command.

I stare at her, unfolding my injured wing. "B-Bullet," I respond in a quivering voice. She inches forward.

"Max, what are you doing?" Fang, I think, demands.

I watch her glare at the dark, emo one. "She's a bird kid. Another one. With an injured wing."

A little one pops up around a dark-skinned 14 year old's body.

"I can hear your mind," she murmurs, stepping beside me. I blink. "Who's Archer?" she adds, tilting her head in confusion.

Once the word Archer is past her lips, I'm thinking of him. His tall figure, his dark brown hair, his forest green eyes. I swear, those green eyes hold a lot of colors in them. Dark brown, light brown, caramel, light greens, dark greens, tree trunk brown-

Max pauses. "Was he your partner?" she asks. Whew. A real question, not a demand.

I nod. "W-We go-got seperated," I respond, trembling slightly.

Suddenly, I'm surrounded by the rest of the flock.

"Max, what do we do?" Fang asks, tilting his head at me.

"We take her in." Max was obviously the leader, you can tell by that.

The 11 or 12 year old - I still don't know yet - tilts his head. "But, Max, she can't fly."

"Gazzy, we can take him to Mom's house," Max says, furrowing her eyebrows.

Gazzy is the 12 year old. Max is the leader. Fang is the Batman of the group.

The 6 year old giggles. "I'm Angel. That's Nudge." She points at the dark-skinned teen. "That's Iggy." She points at a male that looks like he's blind.

Gazzy, Max, Fang, Nudge, Angel, and Iggy. Okay.

"What is your name?" Gazzy says, giving me a smile.

I pause, staring at the six. "Zinnia," I respond.

Max tilts her head, nodding. "Well, let's go find Mom," she states. "Fang, Iggy, and Nudge. Go back to Mom's house and tell her we have another bird kid."

".. Zinnia," I murmur, not liking the way she stated bird kid.

Angel smiles. "What about us?" she questions.

Max looks up at her, smiling back. "We help her there."

A/N: Had to announce the flock. ; w ;

Review.

~iiCollz. 


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